FS Digest

And why? I'm slowly growing my arsenal. I have a mh mojo bass/ SLX combo that I'm asking to do too much right now. I have a decent lews spinning combo that I'll throw stuff that's too light weight. I have a crankbait combo in mind, but I want to buy something just to throw topwater baits on. Frogs/buzzbaits/ploppers mostly. TIA.

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by sdbassfishing

FS Digest

I don't know specifically what you need--someone should be along who does--but I know the tip for your rod is crucial. Poppers, frogs, and walkers are finesse baits, and need a specific stiffness/flex in the rod for optimum control.

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by whydidIaskmyselfthat

FS Digest

Different top water baits require all different rod actions for example, a frog rod won’t be a good buzz bait rod or a rod for buzzbaits won’t be great for poppers/spooks. Not that they won’t work, but the difference between action the lures require as well as needing different lines for each one makes it hard to just have a dedicated “top-water setup” my best advice would just to keep building the Arsenal you’ve already got going and just try to match the top water bait to the rod, if you want more advice for what rods are good for what baits lmk and good luck 👍

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by TheDuke122598

FS Digest

I use a medium heavy fast Dobyns Fury with 30# braid for my topwater setup. I fish out of a kayak and have room for 3 rods so I had to make due. I use it for frogs, spooks, poppers, buzzbaits, jigs, and large paddletail swimbaits. Never have any issues with hookups between all the different types.

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by Dradcliff2009

FS Digest

If you want something that can “do it all” get a medium-heavy 7’2 with a fast action, and a reel with a high rate of retrieval, something like 7+ in gear ratio. Put some braid on it and maybe a mono/fluoro leader depending on what you’re throwing.

People love to get caught up in the perfect rod/reel combo, and think they need a different setup for every bait in their box, but it’s just not true or realistic for 99% of anglers.

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by lalondtm

charlykilo Loc: Garden Valley Ca

Fly outfit.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

SDBassfishing: I agree with lalondtm. you don't need to have a different outfit for every single lure, or type of lure. As you gain experience you will learn how to compensate for the differences. In my humble opinion, you can do almost everything you can imagine with no more than 3 different rigs. But take your time in selecting those.

A lot of fishermen have begun their fishing careers with spinning rigs, which is a good outfit to learn with. I personally lean toward baitcasting. Once you've learned the basics I believe it offers more finesse, control, and accuracy than spinning, but I use both interchangably and cast with either hand. Take your time and save your money.

While you are learning the different methods, and different rigs, when you are going to fish waters you've never fished, you will be way ahead to hire a guide for a half day to jump start your fishing experience, thus use the money you would have spent on extra tackle you didn't need. Just Sayin...RJS

Smokypig Loc: Cheyenne, wyoming

Rapala.

Garry Loc: Wellborn, Florida

If I could afford that I'd have it all. As it is I have always had way less than I wanted and have always caught fish anyway.

A little true story Concerning tackle


When I was four years old Granddaddy took me fishing and coon hunting I'm not sure which was first but I loved them both. When I got married I hunted 4 to 6 nights a week. At first my wife would go with me then she quit after we had children. I ran into some trouble with my dogs, two were hit by cars and the old dog died. I was about to get some more dogs, and my wife said if I quit coon hunting I could fish all I wanted to and she would never complain. She lied!! I fished when is was off from work, I fished on my way to work, and I fished on my way home from work. I fished day and night every day for four and a half years. I made a lair out of my wife. She is the greatest thing ever happened to me. Surprise, I still got her.

Well, you know how you can get in trouble messing with someone else’s young'uns, This one morning I had gone to a place called Dry Prairie. When it got light enough to see I could see some extra heavy fishing line all through the trees and bushes around the water's edge.

About that time a woman and two boys came down close to where I was the biggest boy might have been 8 or 10 or 12 years old and the little one was a small 4 I'd say. She and the older boy started fishing. It didn't take long before the little one started to loudly express his wishes to fish too.

His Mama fussed at him trying to make him hush, and after awhile, gave up. She found an old dead stick about 5' long and tied a piece of that heavy line on to the small end. It was about twice as big around as my thumb on that end so big on the other end that the little feller could just reach around it with both hands. She tied a big hook On the line and hooked a big ole black plastic worm on it, handed it to him and said, "Now Shut Up!!! and fish!"

He did too for a minute. He came over next to me, within arms reach of me and plopped his bait and pole down into the water with a big splash and right then the bass took hold of his worm and nearly jerked him in.

He screamed, "Mama, Help me!!! Help me, Mama!!!"

His Mama yelled at him, "SHUT UP and fish!!!"

I hollered over to her, "Ma'am if you don't want to help him can I?"

She screamed back "you leave my young'un alone and don't you touch him"

"Yes Ma'am but you better come help him I don't think he's Gone'a turn that fish loose and if he don't It'll pull him in." I told her.

She came running over then and took the pole away from him and pulled in a bass bigger than my 9# 12 oz er I had caught awhile back. They loaded up and left right then.


AW!! peace

fishingjim48 Loc: Wilton Ca

I have been hooked on top-water, nothing beats the explosion of fish after your lure. My target fish is the Ca delta Striper. I use a 2 1/2 to 3 oz plug, shad pattern, and start walking the dog...

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

My setup :6'6" Berkley Lightning Rod Shock Med. Fast action,Ambassadeur Royal Express 6.5/1,30lb PowerPro. Throw Frogs,Buzzbaits,WopperPloppers,and Walking Baits. Throw smaller Poppers,Jitterbugs etc, on MH Spinning rod with 12lb Nanofil. There is nothing in freshwater fishing that compares with a Topwater BLOWUP!!! Good luck and tight lines.

Mister twister Loc: Foxworth,Ms.

Learn to use what you have for whatever lure or lures your casting at the time. The knowledge of how to will be stored in that hard head and your brain will pull it up with any lure you choose. You might want 1 or 2 more rods only as a quick change or simply backup the 1st rod. Fish are ignorant of what’s in your hand! Just chunk it!!!!